Keys Birding

 

For Labor Day weekend Andy, Rosana, Emily, and I went to Key West for some fun times.  Along the way we stopped and did some shorebirding near Marathon.  We had a nice collection of birds including Short-billed & Long-billed Dowitchers, Willet, Least Sandpiper, Semipalmated Sandpiper, Sanderling, Semi-palmated Plover, Black-bellied Plover, and numerous terns on the flats.  While driving over the Bahia Honda Channel I spotted an Audubon's Shearwater.  We tried for better looks but it headed out past the bridge not to be re-seen.

Once in Key West we danced the night away and then on Sunday we birded Fort Zachary State Park.  The area around the bathrooms were very busy we had 10 warbler species within 20 minutes, including a HY Hooded Warbler that gave us killer looks from a few feet away.  After the Prothonotary, Worm-eating, Prairie, Redstart, Ovenbird, Blackpoll, Parula, Black-and-white, and Northern Waterthrush fun we hit the beach for some swimming.  The water was delightfully cool.

Now a busy week is starting and my Bird-a-day year is coming to a close.  I used a Spot-breasted Oriole today but the only easy bird I have left is a White Ibis.  For those that don't know about Bird-a-Day, you should definitely check it out.  I can't believe I made it to September!  

Roseate Terns in Marathon, FL

Every summer I like to head down to the Keys and see the Florida summer specialties.  This year Andy, Rosana, EmilyLark, and myself took the road trip down to Marathon, FL.  We promptly found a large number of Roseate Terns on top of the Marathon Government Building.  I've seen the terns here before in past summers but this was by far the largest number of terns in my personal record.  There was easily over a hundred of them.  We also had Least Terns flying around as well for good comparison.

After the tern show we checked into our little motel, The Sandpiper, which gives a great nightly rate.  Once settled we headed out again to the Marathon Airport for the afternoon nighthawk watch.  This one did not disappoint.  We had both Antillean and Common Nighthawks calling and diving.  We celebrated the day with some fun drinks watching the sun go down by 7-mile bridge. 

Summertime birding in South Florida is not glamorous.  It's hot, the humidity will soak your t-shirt, mosquitoes will carry you away, and biting flies will dive-bomb your head but if you're willing to brave the conditions there are some nice rewards out there like Roseate Terns, Antillean Nighthawks, Black-whiskered Vireos, Mangrove Cuckoos and Yellow Warblers.  The point of the story is, you won't see anything if you don't get out there.       

Herps in Key West

While at Fort Zachary State Park, Emily and I witnessed more than just bird life.  We were treated to the mating rituals of a pair of Six-lined Racerunners (Cnemidophorus sexlineatus).  They chased each other and there was even some biting before consent was given. 

Racerunners weren't the only herps around the park.  We found a pretty large iguana basking by the fort.  It showed no fear like most of the iguanas around Palm Beach and allowed close inspection.

As we made one more loop through the nature trail we found a very obliging Black Racer that posed for photos.  It was three feet long and slinked off after we walked away.  Our time at the state park was short but full of wildlife.  We celebrated the birds and herps with one of the best meals I've had in Florida at The Cafe in Key West.  I can't recommend this place enough.

This past weekend I was supposed to be birding the Keys again but due to some complications the trip was cancelled.  I'm hoping in a few weeks I'll make the trek down and look for summer specialties like Mangrove Cuckoo, Antillean Nighthawk, and Roseate Tern.

FL Keys Birding

I've shared the story of the Bobolinks EmilyLark and I found in the Keys but I almost forgot to show you the rest of the migrants that we happened upon at Founder's Park and then later at Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park in Key West. The Keys were full of American Redstarts everywhere we went.  But some less seen migrants were also found like the Blue Grosbeak below. 

Blackpoll Warblers were also found in high numbers.  We found them literally everywhere.  The one above was dangling from the prop roots of a Strangler Fig. After birding Founder's Park in the lower Keys we decided we would head down U.S. 1 and eat lunch in Key West.  

Before a delicious lunch at The Cafe, a block off of Duval St., we went to Fort Zachary for a few more migrants. We were rewarded with plenty of birds including the Dickcissel above and the Prothonotary Warbler below, both seen in one sweep of the binoculars.  We also found a Swainson's Thrush under the nearby brush.  In a large tree by the bathroom we found a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher and we heard a nearby Gray Kingbird calling from the wires.  In just a couple of days, a mini-fallout occurred at Fort Zachary that we would miss but I wasn't complaining, the birding in the Keys seems always to be good.

If you haven't birded the Keys in spring then you're missing out.  I highly suggest a little trip south in April, it will be one you won't forget!

Bobolinks in the FL Keys

EmilyLark and I went birding in the Keys recently.  We went to chase a Black-billed Cuckoo which would be a lifer for both of us but alas we didn't find it.  Instead we found many warblers, orioles, Indigo Buntings, and a Blue Grosbeak which I will share photos of soon.  The highlight of little Founder's Park was seeing not one but multiple Bobolinks.  This may not be super interesting to everyone but down here in South Florida we don't see many Bobolinks so it was pretty special to show Emily her first.  

In the first baseball field adjacent to Founder's Park was one lone male Bobolink.  It flew away when I approached closer so I gave it some distance and told a nearby birder of our find.

The birder came back later to say he found more in the next field over so we checked it out and found a male and female feeding in the outfield grass.  I took photos through the fence and the bird couple didn't seem to notice.  They moved all around feeding here and there and eventually moved to the middle of the field where we left the two alone.  It was a great experience and made the day even better.  You never know what you're going to find in the FL Keys during migration. 

Here's our little pair feeding in the baseball outfield.  I liked how they crossed paths over and over, eventually making it across the field.  I hope they bulked up and made a safe migration. 

Miami Blue Butterfly: Is It Too Late?

It looks like the federal government is going to put an emergency action plan together for the rare Miami Blue butterfly.  Read the article here on the Palm Beach Post blog to get the full scoop.

I'm glad that some much needed protection is finally coming through for this species but I wonder if we waited too long.  From what I know the population is very sparse and restricted to select islands in the Florida Keys.  I hope that this measure isn't coming too late.

Bahia Honda Camping

Yes, I know I promised Puerto Rico updates would come at some point but there is a delay due to me deleting almost 300 of my photos by accident. After that tragedy, I just didn't have it in me to post about the trip but inspiration will come soon. Until then let me share a few updates from my latest camping trip.


Emily and I camped at Bahia Honda State Park the weekend after our week-long Puerto Rico excursion. I know, it's hard to imagine we would want more beach time but believe me, the Florida Keys aren't so bad even if you have just been vacationing on another island. This state park is one of my favorite places to camp and I've had so many great memories here with all my friends that I was really happy to share this place with Emily.

Though the weather was hot we got a lucky break and the weather actually cooled to the 80s for the time we were there. We spent the days swimming and reading books on the beach and that night we went down to the shoreline for a windy and cool exploration. The campsites in Sandspur are mostly for tents and each one has a nice little view of the ocean. It's nice to camp in a park without RVs surrounding you and the hum of generators. Instead we fell asleep to the sound of the waves crashing. In the middle of the night we even had a nice downpour and as you know, storms can be quite exciting when you're sleeping on the ground. Fortunately, the new tent kept us dry and we had a lovely experience.

On our way home we stopped at the large roadside Lobster, Betsey, and took in a few shops on Islamorada. I had a delicious chilled coffee concoction and we found this large rat on top of an ice cream shop. I normally hate all things of the rodent expression but since we had just finished reading The Tale of Despereaux at the beach, I took this one as a good sign. After we picked up a few pieces of art from some local artists we hit the road and headed back to Miami. It was a nice short weekend but still very relaxing and spent in good company.

If you want to support local artists in the Keys please check out The Rain Barrel Artisans' Village. You can't miss it, just look for Betsey the Lobster!

Tree Art

I don't normally like carving in trees but I did like this muscular snake/dragon man that was carved into the Sea Grape on Bahia Honda. More to come about our recent camping trip to Bahia Honda State Park soon!

Update: Thanks to Nick I just found out the identify of the dragon. It is none other than Trogdor the BURNiNATOR. If you're curious about Trogdor check out this video. Thanks Nick for the heads up!

Hawk Migration over the Keys

Cooper's Hawk taken at Green Cay by Bill Kominsky.

Today I read a great article from Birder's World about Hawk Migration over the Keys. I had heard last year that the Curry Hammock Hawk Watch was cancelled due to lack of funds and staff. This year I really want to get down there for a weekend of raptor gazing. The raptor migration season is best from mid-September to November. HawkWatch International has some nice data and an analysis of the last 10 years of research done on Keys raptor migration.

One of the things I found most interesting in the conclusions, or I should say questions rather ,on accipiter migration. I thought it was really unusual how Sharp-shinned Hawks and Cooper's would avoid over-water migration routes up north, like at Cape May Hawk Watch, but then fly right off the Keys into the unknown of the Gulf. I think there is a lot more about migration that we just haven't uncovered yet. I have been wanting to see this migration spectacle since I first heard about it a few years ago and since Birder's World was so kind to open this article to the public, it has lit the fire even more.

Bahia Honda State Park

The Best Beach in the Keys.

Fort Zachary Taylor State Park

Fort Zachary Taylor State Park in Key West.

Keys, Quite An Adventure

When friends arrive at your doorstep and say "Let's go to the Keys!" You don't argue, you merely pack your bags, call in sick, and hit the road. That's what happened when my favorite Orlando girls rolled into town. Due to my work schedule it would be just an overnighter but I knew it would certainly be worth it.

We arrived early afternnon at Bahia Honda State Park where we would be staying with one of the park rangers, Joey. As you can see in the photo above the man always has a smile on his face and per his reputation, he showed us a great time. While most of the group went with him into town for groceries, Amber and I hit the kayaks.

Joey has his own small kayak launch where we paddled out to Bare Beach. This was a great stretch of Mangrove habitat. Amber and I had some fun walking around picking up trash and exploring the shallow areas for wildlife. On the sand flats where a few dowitchers, one Reddish Egret, and some Willets.

By this time it was late afternoon and the water was like a hot bathtub. We decided to forego swimming and took a leisurely paddle back to the house.

As the sun starting sinking into the horizon Joey informed us of a surprise he had in store for our afternoon. Previously that morning he had dug up a sea turtle nest and found three stragglers alive. We were set to release them at sunset. So off we hopped into the car to release the turtles. First we took a detour to fold the flags and pick up the babies.

For those that know me, it comes as no surprise that this was a lifetime experience. I fell in love with sea turtles as a young girl and it possibily could be the main reason I went into the science field. So with great pleasure I held the baby Loggerhead Sea Turtle, let it crawl on the sand, and then scooped it up to release it out into the warm waters of the Gulf.

All photos in this post were taken by Amber Lovelace.

This certainly was one of the highlights of the trip but the party was no where near over. After a great meal we went swimming in the bioluminescence and stared up at the Milky Way. I love swimming in the ocean at night, especially on clear nights when the stars cease to end. We had a late night of celebrating and the next day we were slow to rise. But eventually we made it out to do some snorkeling before heading home. All in all, the trip was one of the highlights of summer. I wish I could have stayed longer but there's always next time.

Just remember folks, if they ask you to go to the Keys, don't turn down the offer. You will find no better place to relax. It really is like a tropical paradise, especially if you have the right friends and a cold beer to drink.

Skywatch Friday: Bahia Honda State Park, FL

Photos by Amber Lovelace, taken off of Bahia Honda State Park, July 2009.

After a great two relaxing days in the Keys I feel more rushed than ever. I am marrying two of my closest friends this weekend in Orlando. Tonight I have to finish off the music playlist since I am also the DJ for the evening. After Orlando, I return home for a week of work and last minute planning for my West Coast trip. Finally on Saturday the 8th I will fly out for 16 days of roadtripping via cars, planes, and trains. It is going to be a roller coaster but for now I am just going to soak in the scenery of the Keys. For more great shots check out the other Skywatch Friday posts.

Top Ten Lifers of 2008: Number 4

After yesterday's large list of raptors I'm going to switch gears and name the Mangrove Cuckoo as my Number 4 bird of 2008.

Mangrove trail where I spotted my first Mangrove Cuckoo.

On my first solo camping experience in my life I decided to head down to the Florida Keys. Along the way I had two main target birds, Black-whiskered Vireo and Mangrove Cuckoo. Black-whiskered Vireos are found throughout South Florida and a week later I would even have one on my bird count at Green Cay. The Mangrove Cuckoo was really my grail bird for the weekend.

Florida State Parks don't open until 8AM, something I didn't know before this trip. So as I drove down the Keys I kept wanting to stop a various parks but it was too early. Finally 8AM arrived and I found myself at the Long Key State Park where I immediately picked up my lifer Black-whiskered Vireo. Riding on the high of one bird I took nice loop trail through the park. Within 20 minutes I was staring down my first Mangrove Cuckoo. I had two solid looks at it and the trip was done. I walked away elated but wishing for a longer view.

A few months later I returned to Long Key State Park with Andy and Kim to re-locate the bird. We were succesful and found the bird in about the same location. This time the bird held still for a little bit longer and we even had time to consult the field book to nail the ID 100 percent. Every trip to the Florida Keys is spectacular but picking up some new birds made these trips even better.

Andy and I celebrating our lifers of the day, he got the Mangrove Cuckoo and we both picked up a Roseate Tern.

Lifers in the Keys

If you have been to the Florida Keys as a birdwatcher most likely you've gone for some sought after species that are hard to find anywhere else. Maybe you're lucky enough to head out to the Dry Tortugas but if you're confined to the roads then you're still in luck because the Keys always have something interesting, no matter what time of year it may be.

This past weekend my two friends, Andy and Kim, and I stayed in a condo on Islamorada. We didn't swim or even go out on a boat; instead we spent our waking hours searching for some life birds. Our first target was the reputedly elusive Mangrove Cuckoo (Coccyzus minor).

Once again the Long Pine Key State Park didn't let me down. I knew we had the whole weekend to find our targets but I really wanted my friends to get some of these birds early on. Fortunately, the cuckoo showed itself only a few minutes down the path and we all got great looks. It even gave a nice little call for identification. I've only seen the Mangrove Cuckoo once before so this was a treat to see it again. The mosquitoes were out full force but snagging this bird was worth it.


After the cuckoo we trekked down the path that winds out of the mangroves and into a salt pan like area where we found lots of Fiddler Crabs and the Wharf Crab seen in the above photo. Winding through this area was a nice respite from the mosquitoes and then back we went into the forested trail but we were happily greeted by a nice little mixed flock of warblers. The Yellow-throated Warblers (Dendroica dominica) were giving us killer looks while the Prairie Warblers (Dendroica discolor) were also showing themselves all around us. There's nothing better than having warblers at eye level only a few feet away, at least in my book.

The trail circled back towards the parking lot where we had probably the best look at a Black-whiskered Vireo (Vireo altiloquus) that a person can get. Two Black-whiskered Vireos chased each other only a few feet away. We weren't sure what exactly was going on but we thought maybe one was an adult and the other a younger vireo by their behavior. After a nice session with these guys we ended our trip at Long Pine Key and drove to the Marathon Government building. If you're in Marathon during the summer it's easy to find Roseate Terns (Sterna dougalli) mixed in with the Least Terns (Sterna antillarum) nesting on top of this building. We circled the building before finally spotted a couple of terns. The Roseate was easy to distinguish from the Least due to its larger size and all white body.

After all these life birds we were riding quite the high but unfortunately we experienced a little car trouble while leaving the government building area. How many birders does it take to fix a flat tire? I think it took all three of us to locate the jack in Andy's new car but then after a rough start we got it fixed and we were back on the road. Our next stop was Ohio Key.

The tide was high but we wandered down by the bridge area were this Reddish Egret (Egretta rufescens) was waiting on us. I walked out about 15 feet away from it before deciding that nothing was going to spook this guy and headed back to shore. There wasn't much going on in this area so we posed for a few photos before finding a few peeps hiding in the rocky areas.

The rocky shoreline proved to be very busy with shorebirds of all kinds. We picked up plovers, sandpipers, and dowitchers. My favorite birds of this area were the two Brown-head Cowbirds (Molothrus ater) that gave us a little tricky identification. It was raining and they were all puffed up which made it difficult to distinguish what exactly they were at first. We eventually nailed down the ID and moved on to the task of finding lunch. After our Mexican food we found the iguana seen below waiting for us by the car. These exotics are rampant throughout South Florida and especially easy to spot in the Keys.

The day was still early so we headed to Lake Edna for a little more birding after lunch. We found quite a few different species of swallow passing through plus a Roseate Spoonbill (Platalea ajaja), a few herons, and a vulture or two. Our day list was quite impressive so we headed back to the condo to escape the hot afternoon and wait for our nighthawk search.

We arrived at the Marathon Airport before 8:00PM and even before we could stop the car the "killy-kadick" could be heard over the Laughing Gulls and cars passing by. The Antillean Nighthawks (Chordeiles gundlachi) were all over the place, swooping through the sky and diving behind the parked airplanes. We moved down a little more to get a better view of the nighthawks and called it a night after we had our fill of looks. The night was capped off with some celebratory drinks, see photo below. I'm drinking a Candy Cane in celebration of my lifers: Roseate Tern, Cave Swallow (Petrochelidon fulva), and Antillean Nighthawk. Overall it was some of the easiest birding I've done in a while. I guess after a few hit and miss times at other species it was a relief to get everything I wanted and more. We ended the weekend with 61 species including some birds from the Miami-Kendall area like Mitred Parakeets (Aratinga mitrata) and Yellow-chevroned Parakeets (Brotogeris chiriri) which were new to my companions. The weekend was full of fun, friends, and some amazing birds. I can't wait till the next trip!